Victor loses OT heartbreaker to South Side
For the second straight year, Victor’s boys lacrosse season concludes in heartbreaking fashion. Facing Section VIII’s South Side for the Class B state title, the Blue Devils surrendered a fourgoal lead in the fourth quarter in an eventual 12-11 overtime defeat.
The Cyclones erased Victor’s lead with five straight goals to open the fourth, putting the Blue Devils behind for the first time all game. Victor answered with the next two, including the go-ahead from from freshman Jackson Mead with 1:30 remaining.
The Blue Devils owned possession in the final minute, but a wayward shot with about 30 seconds left turned the ball back to South Side. Then, with only 0.8 seconds left in regulation, the Cyclones’ Michael Aiello converted a goal to force overtime.
After South Side won the faceoff, Cole Dipietro completed the comeback with a strike about a minute into sudden death.
Victor never possessed the ball in OT. Victor’s state title count remains at four. The Blue Devils also lost last season’s 2023 Class B state title game, unable to finish off a comeback against Garden City.
Here’s how the game unfolded:
South Side 12, Victor 11: Final (overtime)
Cyclones senior Cole Dipietro scored less than a minute into sudden death OT after South Side claimed the faceoff.
Victor 11, South Side 11: End of the 4th quarter
Victor went ahead by a goal with 1:30 remaining on freshman Jackson Mead’s second of the game. Then, with 0.8 seconds left on the clock, South Side’s Michael Aiello scored to force OT.
Victor 9, South Side 8: 7:49 left in the 4th quarter
South Side has scored three straight goals to cut Victor’s led to one goal, prompting a timeout for the Blue Devils.
Victor 9, South Side 5: End of the 3rd quarter
Brody Secker completed his hat trick at the 4:29 mark of the 3rd. Then, after the Cyclones’ Cullen Lynch scored two straight, Aiden Clinkscales nabbed his first score of the game to put Victor back ahead by four.
Victor 7, South Side 3: 7:13 left in the 3rd quarter
Eli Ricci went from the faceoff X to the goal only six seconds into the second half, to put Victor back in front by four.
Victor 6, South Side 3: Halftime
Victor held off the board for the final 10 minutes of the half, but South Side only able to close the gap to three.
Victor 6, South Side 3: 3:30 left in the 2nd quarter
Victor went ahead by four on goals from Brody Secker and long stick Matt Langan.
Victor 4, South Side 2: End of the 1st quarter
South Side had a scoring chance at the buzzer, but the shot attempt sailed wide of Victor’s cage.
Victor 4, South Side 2: 5:35 left in the 1st quarter
Tanner Radogna already has two goals for the Blue Devils, while Brody Secker and Jackson Mead have also scored.
Victor vs. South Side game has started
Victor goalie Parker Erwin tasked with a save only 20 seconds into the contest.